Support for fastening material



y 1944- F. KENNISON I 2,348,219

' SUPPORT FOR FASTENING MATERIAL Filed Dec. 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 Ti 3]. I

VENTUR M y9h F. KENNISON SUPPORT FOR FASTENING MATERIAL Filed Dec. 21, -1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l i I l l I I I I l l I erably rotatab-le.

Patented May 9, 1944 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE TSUPPDRTLE'ORIFASTENING MATERIAL -Frank .Kemiison, .Beverly, Mass,

assig'nor to United Shoe: Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. ".L; acorporation of NewJersey 'Application-December 21, 1942, Serial 'No. P4611634 '9 Claims.

:My invention relates to means by which are supported-coils of materiaL'suchas thattfrom which fastenings are severed'for useintheattachment -of work pieces. It is of :particular utility in-connection with inserting machines in 1 which a considerable number of'fastenings must .be suppliedfor each operation.

An example of the type of machine abover'men- -tioned :rnay be seen in Letters Patent .of the United States No. 2,293,624, Parkhurst, August 18, 1942. Here, loads of. pegs are cut .fromaplurality of strings of fiber for delivery'toinserting mechanism. These strings are in coils,.and

--variousmethodsrof r supporting these'coils in the machine'have been employed. Reels upon which the coils are'woun'd may bepla'ced side-by side upon-spindlesat opposite sides of the machine,

:the coils-being'turned about the spindles-as" the strings are drawn on by the feeding mechanism. This arrangement takes upmuch space which it is'undesirableitooccupy, andthe -reels ofier ICOH- siderableresistance to rotation because :of their friction upon thev spindles and" against "eachother. Anothenprocedure is to Willdl'allithe strings in parallel about .:one or.more1reels. In this :case, the strings tend to interfere with each :other 1 as they 2 are delivered. .Both "plans are troublesome "when an exhausted coil must =fbeireplaced cortheznum'ber of strings altered. -An'objectpi thisinventionjis to. so arrange the icoilsiiof fastening *material that each, .however 'Igreat .imay -.be the number, .is :individually and readily 5.3.0- acessiblewithout disturbance .of the companion coils, .andlso ieac'himay be drawn ofi withilittle :resistanceancl .withno possibility of interference. 4

To this eHd,.:.I"proVid-'e the frame of LaJif-a'sten ingsin'serting machine with a projection -from which ."rise :a iplurality of standards, about :each

.of Jwhich'one OI'ImO'IB carrier-arms is arranged 'toturn, containers'for the coilsof .material-being rmounted upon these arms, 'they beingipref- There may i be means for :re- :taining'the arms in a predetermined angular position againstturnin'g; this. position .being'such 'thatthe delivery to the ieedinglrnechanism of :the fastening-inserting machine .is :most aadvan tageously made. .Upon being swung out o'f this normal position, ithe containers may "be :freed completely ifrom their companions for .the irenewal of the coils. Aguide for the niaterialsas -for example a tube,. atileast a portion'of'which is flexible, is supported-by an. adjustablel'guideearm upon the carrier-arm of eachcontainer and may be-employed to best receive the materi-al from the-coiland to-directit totubesorother gui'des 05 "delivery. tal projection l6 (Fig. :1), the upper wall it of l delivered.

upon the machine-frame; through which delivery is made to the feeding mechanism. My invenframe of a fastening-inserting machine, and including the coil-supports of .this invention;

Fig. .2 is .a "top plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig.3, a centralvertical section through one :of r the coil-containers; and

Fig. 4, aidetail in side elevation of the stringguiding and feeding mechanism of the fasteninginserting machine.

.InfFig. 4 of theidrawings are shown rotatable feed-rolls ll), Iii, j'ournaled in the frame l2 of a fastening-inserting machine, which "may be of the character of that:disclosed in the-previously mentioned patent. These rolls are rotated "step by step tosupply strings F of fiberto the loa'ding'mechanism of the machine. The strings are guided to the rolls through a set of tubes 4, which are arrangedside by side'upon the frame andspaced and curved to ensure proper At'the rear of the'irame'is a horizonwhich isso-form'ed as tofurnish pointssituated at theapices of an isoscelestriangle, at which points three standards Mare stepped. Two of the standardslie along a line close and parallel to the rear 'ofthe frame, while 'thethird iszlocated between and outwardly from these. To stiffen --the standards for resistanceto lateral displace- -ment, they are shown as joined at their tops'by a plate "22. Upon each standard '26, spaced vertically along'it, aseries oi carrier arms 2d is arranged, the number .of these arms depending upon the maximum number-of strings F'to be Fourteen of these are illustrated. "Since each standardand'the elements supported upon it are the same, save as to the number of these elements and their arrangement in the groupnfthree, but one will be described in detail.

.Each of the carrier-arms 25. has a vertical end-portion 26 :into which is threaded the re- 7 duced lower end -28 ofastud :38. Thes'educed upper end-32 0f the studLis'slotted'for the reception of a screw-driver for turning the lower end 28 into place. Between this end 28 and the body of the stud is a portion 34 of intermediate diameter forming a lower shoulder 36 and an upper shoulder 38. The shoulder 36 limits the depth of insertion of the stud into the arm-portion 26, while the upper shoulder retains in place, with some intermediate clearance, an antifriction bearing M, which may be of any desired type. Resting upon this bearing and free to rotate about the stud 3B is the hub 42 of a container 44 for a coil C of the fastening material F. The container is in the form of a tray, from the bottom of which an inclined inner wall 46 leads to the hub, while at the outside rises a vertical wall 48. Fixed by a set-screw 50 to the end 32 of the stud is an arm 52, the outer extremity of which is transversely grooved. This groove receives a compound tube made up of a flexible section 5, which may be of helically wound spring-wire extending downwardly into the container, and a rigid section 56 bent upwardly toward the receiving tubes M. The compound tube is clamped in placeby a washer through which passes a screw 58 threaded vertically into the top of the arm 52. Each arm 24 is provided with means whereby it may be held in a predetermined angular position about its standard 23, to locate its container 54 to best deliver the string from the contained coil 0 to the corresponding tube l4 upon the machine-frame. This means is shown as a depression 60 (Fig. 1) in the underside of the hub of the arm 24, whichin in the coils to be crowded together and bind. As will be seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 4, these paths are separated at all points, so there cannot be interference. When a fresh coil is to be introduced into a container, or access to the interior of said container is desired for any reason, it is only necessary to swing the arm 24 about its standard to an angle at which it will be withdrawn from the-containers above and below it, the depression 60 leaving the pin 62. This is accomplished without interference with the containers upon the same or the other standards. When the change has been made, the arm is restored to its normal relation, it being automatically located by the engagement of the arm-depression with the standard-pin.

delivering position of the container seats itself upon a pin 62 fixed horizontally in the side of the standard. This pin also supports and determines the vertical location'of the containers in the series; The relation of the depression and pin is such that the arms upon each standard all lie at the same angle, while those of different standards are at different angles. This may be seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and preferably places the two inner containers symmetrically at opposite sides of the center of the machine-frame and the outer container somewhat to the rear and midway between these. The guide-arms 52 are fixed at such angles by their set-screws 50 about the studs 30, that their guide-tubes 54 will receive the strings F from the coil C in the containers and direct them properly to the corresponding guide-tubes l4.

In using the support, each container 44 to be employed will be supplied with a coil C of the material F, which is to be delivered. The outer diameter of this coil may be such that it lies close to the inner face of the wall 48. The inner diameter, before unwinding begins, is beneath the end of the guide-tube-section 54. The strings are led up through the tubes It, those for the lower inner containers also passing through guides 64 attached to the frame-projection i6, and then between the feed-rolls In. As these rolls are rotated and tension applied to the strings, each coil isv unwound, the containers turning readily upon their anti-friction bearings 40. The flexible section 54 of each guide-tube bends to adapt itself to the increasing inner diameter of the unwinding coil, and the angle of the rigid section 56; together with that of the arm 52, directs the string in the correct path to the corresponding receiving tube I4. The resilience of the section 54 also allows it to absorb,

to some extent by its yield,the initial stresses applied by the intermittently operating feed-rolls,

' thus reducing the tendency of the convolutions Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with a frame of a fastening-inserting machine having a projection, of a plurality of standards rising from the projection, a carrier-arm arranged to turn about each standard, means for retaining in predetermined angular positions the arms against turning, a container for a coil of the material mounted upon each carrier-arm, a guide for the material mounted upon each carrier-arm, and means for fixing the guides in different angular positions upon the carrier arms, such positions corresponding to different points of reception at the fasteninginserting machine.

2. The combination with a frame of a fastening-inserting machine having a projection, of a plurality of standards rising from the projection and beingspaced from one another transversely of the machine-frame, a carrier-arm arranged to turn about each standard, means for retaining in the same angular position upon the same standard the arms against turning, the angular positions being difierent for different standards, such positions corresponding to different groups of points of reception at the fastening-inserting machine, a container for a coil of the material rotatable upon each carrier-arm, and a guidearm mounted upon each carrier-arm.

3. The combination with a frame of a fastening-inserting machine having a projection and being spaced from one another transversely of the machine-frame, of a plurality of standards rising from the projection, a carrier-arm arranged to turn about each standard, means for retaining in the same angular position upon the which their respective carrier-arms are adjusted.

4. The combination with a frame of a fastening-inserting machine having a projection, of a plurality of standards rising from the projection, a carrier-arm arranged to turn about each standard, means for retaining in predetermined angular positions the arms against turning, one of these positions facilitating access to the container and another locating it for the delivery of the material, a container for a coil of the material rotatableupon each carrier-arm, a guide-tube for the material fixed against movement upon each carrier-arm, and guides supported upon the machine-frame and to which the respective guide-tubes direct the material, each guide-tube being maintained in the correct relation to the corresponding guide when its container is in delivering position.

5. The combination with a frame of a fastening-inserting machine having a projection, of a plurality of standards rising from the projection, a carrier-arm arranged to turn about each standard, means for retaining in predetermined angular positions the arms against turning, a container for a coil of the material rotatable upon each carrier-arm, a guide-tube for the material mounted upon each carrier-arm and having a flexible section extending downwardly into the container and a rigid section extending upwardly, and guide-tubes supported upon the machineframe and to which the respective rigid tubes upon the carrier-arms direct the material.

6. A support for coils of fastening material comprising a standard, carrier-arms projecting from the standard, a container for a coil of the material rotatable upon each carrier-arm, and a guide-arm fixed against movement upon each carrier-arm above the container and having a guide for the fastening material.

7. A support for coils of fastening material comprising a standard, a carrier-arm projecting from the standard, a container for a coil of the material rotatable upon the carrier-arm, a guidearm secured to the carrier-arm above the container, and a flexible guide-tube for the material fixed in the carrier-arm and adapted to yield as the position of the coil is altered by the rotation of the container.

8. A support for coils of fastening material comprising a standard, a carrier-arm projecting horizontally from the standard and having a vertical end-portion provided near its top with a bearing, a container rotatable upon the bearing, a guide-arm secured to the end-portion of the carrier-arm above the container, and a guidetube for the material clamped in the end of the guide-arm, at least a portion of the tube being flexible.

9. A support for coils of fastening material comprising a standard, a carrier-arm projecting horizontally from the standard and having a vertical end-portion, a shouldered stud threaded into the upper extremity of the end-portion, an antifriction bearing held between the end-portion and the shoulder, a container having a hub surrounding the stud and resting upon the antifriction bearing, a guide-arm carried by the stud above the container, and means for fixing the guide-arm in difierent angular positions about the stud.

FRANK KENNISON. 

